Francesca E. Duncan

STUDY QUESTION: Can oocyte maturation be adapted to a phenotypic assay within a drug screening pipeline to identify compounds that block meiotic progression for female non-hormonal contraceptive drug discovery? SUMMARY ANSWER: A complex ph…

Delayed parenthood is a defining feature of contemporary reproductive medicine, fundamentally reshaping reproductive planning and increasing reliance on medically assisted reproduction (MAR). For women of advanced reproductive age (ARA), th…

A major aging hallmark is the accumulation of cellular senescence burden. Over time, senescent cells contribute to tissue deterioration through chronic inflammation and fibrosis driven by the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP)…

Ovarian aging results in decreased fertility and endocrine function. In mice, caloric restriction (CR) maintains ovarian function. In this study, we determined whether CR also has a beneficial effect on reproductive longevity in the nonhuma…

The ovary is one of the first organs to show overt signs of aging in the human body, and ovarian aging is associated with a loss of gamete quality and quantity. The age-dependent decline in ovarian function contributes to infertility and an…

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Women are ubiquitously exposed to endocrine disruptors, including phthalates. Ovarian follicles undergoing folliculogenesis (indirectly measured by ovarian volume) produce anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and estradiol (E…

The female reproductive system ages before any other organ system in the body. This phenomenon can have tangible clinical implications leading to infertility, miscarriages, birth defects and systemic deterioration due to estrogen loss. "Fib…

Fibrosis is a hallmark of aging tissues which often leads to altered architecture and function. The ovary is the first organ to show overt signs of aging, including increased fibrosis in the ovarian stroma. How this fibrosis affects ovarian…

Cancer survivorship has increased considerably, but common cancer treatments may threaten female reproductive health and fertility. In females, standard fertility preservation techniques include egg and embryo banking and ovarian tissue cry…

The ovary contains oocytes within immature (primordial) follicles that are fixed in number at birth. Activation of follicles within this fixed pool causes an irreversible decline in reproductive capacity, known as the ovarian reserve, until…